Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Being Human U.K Season Four Episode Two: Being Human 1955

This episode opens with a bit of domestic normality between Hal, Leo and Pearl.  As Hal and Pearl argue about who is going to kill a spider upstairs, Leo is more interested in talking about La Vie En Rose, the song playing in the background.  When Hal and Pearl disappear to get rid of the spider, a voice comes through the stereo. It tells him that they have to travel west where they will find a man like him, a woman like Pearl and that they are guardians to a child who is the chosen one.  The child apparently will not only save Leo, but will save them all.

Tom seems to be trying to sneak into the house unnoticed. He wipes of a bloody stake and then hides it in flower pot out front. When he gets in his room, he adds the bloody rag to a keepsake box and then two vampire teeth to his vampire necklace. He just manages to put this stuff away before Sally comes in.  Tom immediately denies that he was up to something and then Sally tells him to assume the position.  He literally leans against the wall and she pats him down.  She then goes on to ask him what he expects when he sneaks in and out of the house. Sally then reminds him that she only agreed to let him live there if he agreed to follow all of her commandments.  Question, how the hell was she planning to raise Eve without the help of someone corporeal?  This entire scene is ridiculous. 

Hal and Pearl are pushing the car with Leo in it.  They think the trip is madness, but Hal says that Leo is not well and doesn't ask much of them.  For her part, Pearl is glad that she is invisible because Hal is going to have to tell the people who answer the door that they are there to see a "God child". Hal responds that they will say that they are humoring their friend, who he is old. Nothing like a little ageism I guess.

When they arrive at the house, Tom barges out and immediately puts a stake to Hal's chest.  Leo asks him to remove the stake saying that they mean no harm. Pearl and Annie realise that they can see each other and that they are both ghosts.  Leo claims that they were sent by an angel to see the baby. 

Annie invites them in. Pearl goes on and on about how she brought Hal and Leo together.  Annie tries to interrupt to say that she did the same, but Pearl keeps talking.  Leo asks for a minute in Eve's presence. Hal reveals that the scroll which the record keeper gave them is actually made out of human skin.  Annie corrects him and says that it's a prosthetic, apparently it makes it easier for her to deal with to believe this.

When Leo sees Eve, he asks how something so powerful can be so Tiny.  Leo says that he is not a young man anymore and that he is ill and needs more time. He starts to cough and leans over and asks Eve to help.  The lights start flashing and Annie tells Leo that Eve is saying yes.

Alone, Tom confronts Annie and tells her that she has to stop this now.  He brings up a list of thing that Eve could potentially grow up to be. Annie tells him that they cannot begin to understand the forces at work.  Tom says that if it was just them and it was a sort of coping mechanism that it would be fine, but dragging other people into it isn't right. Tom tells her that Eve cannot save Leo.  Annie asks him to support her in this.

Pearl tells Leo that he is right about the angel, as Hal stares at the scroll.  Hal says that the scroll is holy scripture and is not supposed to exist.  The fact that the scroll is in the same house as Eve, leads him to believe that this is not just a coincidence. Hal says he believes that Eve is going to rid the world of vampires. Leo apologies saying that had he known, he would not have brought him there, but Hall responds saying that he believes that he was meant to come - that he was meant to find her. 

When Annie and Tom return to the room, Tom says that they are going to do something to channel Eve's energy. 

In a room, a bunch of homeless people are watching a video of Tom and George change. A man stops the tape and asks the room to write what they think about what they saw, and how they would feel if creatures like this really existed. Fergus calls him out of the room.  It seems that the old ones have disappeared and he wants to be Griffin's successor it seems and as they talk, Fergus' men eat the focus group.

Back at the house, Annie starts the ceremony. When she asks them to hold hands, Hal grabs a handkerchief so that he doesn't actually have to touch Tom. Pearl clearly does not believe what Annie is doing and after much drama, Leo falls and the lights start to flicker. Hal asks what happened and they want to know why she isn't healing Leo.  In anger, Tom says that Eve is just a baby and carries her out of the room.

Alone in a room with Pearl, Leo admits that he knows he is going to die.  He claims only to be worried about what will happen to her and Hal when he is gone.  He wanted to be healed apparently, to prepare them both for his absence. He says that it will be so different when they only have each other, but Pearl does not want to think about that.

Hal lines up dominoes, apparently he does this to achieve control and to fight urges. He says that he likes routine, but I suspect that Hal is slightly OCD.  Pearl bursts into the room and asks about Hal's inhaler.  Annie apologizes for not curing Leo and says that maybe he was supposed to bring them both here so that when he finally passes they'll be okay.  Annie asks them to move in and Hal asks her if she is somehow drunk. Hal thinks it is the worst idea that he has ever heard.

As Hal stands outside, Tom approaches him and asks him to go to a store with him.  Hal immediately turns him down, until Tom shows him a picture of a ring that Leo asked him to get for him.  Apparently, Leo asked specifically for Hal to bring Tom with him. Hal wonders if this is some sort of quest to bring them together and they both agree to continue disliking each other. 

Inside, Annie is being talking to Pearl about the sleeping arrangements. Annie tells her to make whatever changes she likes but to check it over with her first.  Pearl comes back with some snark about the decorating and yeah she has a point there. Pearl says that the only reason she is considering this is because Leo thinks that it's a good idea.  They spend the next few minutes bickering back and forth. 

In Leo's room, he tells them that Hal has been dry for over fifty years. He writes a list of instructions on how to keep Hal sober. Apparently Hal has to stay away from people, dogs, budgies and blood.  Annie then asks if Pearl has any dark secrets and Hal says that she is a woman without fault, and while Pearl is preening, Hal shows Annie the list he wrote for her.  When Eve starts to cry, Annie mentions that she probably needs to get some air.  Pearl asks why she doesn't take her and Annie responds that floating babies freak people out.  Pearl suggests that Annie do something called swaddling. Apparently, if Annie wraps the baby in her clothing, since people cannot see her, they won't see the baby.

Outside the store, Hal and Tom continue to bicker, until finally Hal asks why he hates vampires so much, considering that each species has something bad in them. Tom tells him that vampires killed his father. Inside the store, Tom sees a mounted wolfs head. The store owner tells him to take his hands off of it.  Tom is upset and asks what kind of person would buy something like this, and the owner asks them to leave.  Tom says he isn't leaving until he takes it down.  The two of them begin to struggle, with Hal staying as far away as he can. Hal finally breaks up the fight, but not before Tom punches the store owner drawing blood.  When Hal becomes fixated, Tom grabs him from behind saying,"you people have no control."  Hal reminds Tom that he wasn't the one throwing punches.  As they turn to leave, the store owner calls them back and he is holding a gun.  Okay, police don't even carry guns in the U.K. but this shop owner has a loaded rifle?  

He holds the gun to Tom's head and Hal tells him to get on with it. As he talks, the owner's hands begin to shake. Hal tells him that if he gets away with it that he won't get away with it unscathed.  He says the blood he spills will stain him and that if he kills Tom, his face will haunt him forever. The gun owner lowers the shot gun.  They leave the store and when Tom says that they forgot the ring, Hal shows it to him on his hand.

In the kitchen, the lights buzz again and Annie tells Pearl that the flashing lights are being caused by her and that it's grief. Annie tells Pearl that she loves Leo and Pearl admits it. Pearl says that its too late to tell Leo how she feels. Annie encourages her tell him how she feels, because she may not get another chance.  Pearl admits that Leo is everything to her and that she doesn't want to be without him. When Pearl walks into Leo's room, Leo is holding out a ring for her. He tells her that he should have given her a ring years ago, but he was too shy and too stupid and that he loved her since the moment he met her.  Pearl admits that she loves him as well.  He says that he couldn't leave without telling her and then he passes out.  Annie runs to get Hal, as Leo says that this had to happen one day and that they had an amazing life together.

Leo dies and two doors appear. Hal realises that they are both leaving him and Leo says that he is sorry.  Pearl says that she can stay, but Annie says that she may not get another chance.  Leo asks Annie to promise to look after Hal.  Leo says that he will be fine and the two walk through the door.  

After they are gone, Annie asks Hal how he likes his room and Hal tells her that she doesn't have to go through with it.  She tells him that she takes her promises very seriously and that he will be very happy there.  Hal tells Annie that her mask is even better than his. 

The baby is alone in a room crying and Hal enters quietly and asks Eve why she is crying. He tells her that he should be crying.  On the television, an older version of Eve appears, as Hal says that his best friend is dead.  The older Eve says, "do it, do it."  He tells her that he thought that she was the messiah, but now he sees how ridiculous this all is. Tom walks into the room and asks what Hal is doing and commands him to put Eve down. Hal says that he should do the world a favour and get rid of him.  Tom responds that he wouldn't kill anyone in Annie's house, or in front of the baby, but he promises that if he ever sees Hal again that he will kill him. 

Hal has clearly become unhinged.  For the first time ever he knocks down the dominoes instead of methodically picking them up.  He runs to the store in which he and Tom had the confrontation. At the house, Annie realises that Hal is missing and points out that he is very dangerous. Annie and Tom chase after him to the store and Annie pops in asking, "is this how you repay Leo."  Tom puts a dagger in his back and threatens to kill Hal.  They both end up with weapons pointed at each other. Annie says that they are dancing around their pain and that Eve is not a God.  She says that it hurts that all her friends have died and that avoiding pain leads to this. They lower their weapons and Annie says, "can we please go home?"

The shop keeper sits in a room telling Fergus about his encounter with Hal.  It is only when the store keeper says Hal's name that Fergus looks up. Before the store owner can leave, Fergus kills him. 

In the house, they sit on the couch as Annie hands out tea. Hal admits that he hopes that Eve is still the savior and that he wants her to kill them all.

I am not sure that I am into this new arrangement. To be honest, I miss Mitchell and I miss George. The connection and friendship is just not there and that is what made this show.  I don't think you can get rid of 2/3 of a cast and then expect the show to just carry on like this.  I like Hal as a character, he looks like could have some interesting quirks and the actor who plays him is quite good really, but he is not Mitchell and that is the problem.